WHAP Unit 1: The Global Tapestry Flashcards

Vocabulary flashcards covering key terms, historical figures, belief systems, and economic developments across East Asia and Dar al-Islam in WHAP Unit 1.

Song Dynasty

A Chinese dynasty that came to power in 960 CE, recognized for political stability, wealth, fine arts, manufacturing, and rapid population growth.

Imperial Bureaucracy

A political organization in Song China whose officials implemented laws and earned positions by scoring well on civil service exams focused on Confucian texts.

Champa Rice

A drought-resistant crop that grew easily in China, leading to an abundance of food and rapid population growth.

Grand Canal

An expanded waterway transportation system that facilitated easy movement of goods and greatly increased trade between northern and southern China.

Proto-industrialization

An economic phase in China where individuals made more goods than they could consume or sell locally.

Tribute System

A system of foreign relations in which a dominant power required subordinate states, such as Korea, Japan, and Southeast Asian kingdoms, to pay money to China.

Kowtow

A ritual bow in which a person touches their head to the floor to show respect to a superior or emperor.

Scholar-Gentry

The top social class in Song China alongside the aristocracy, bureaucrats, and wealthy landowners.

Patriarchy

A male-dominated society structure in which women were expected to be subordinate to men and restricted in their public movements.

Foot Binding

A practice during the Song Dynasty that physically restricted women's movement, serving as a sign of elite status and patriarchal control.

Mahayana Buddhism

A branch of Buddhism introduced to China via trade routes that emphasized spiritual growth for all people.

Chan / Zen Buddhism

A syncretic faith combining Buddhist beliefs with local traditions that emphasized direct experience and meditation over formal scriptural study.

Neo-Confucianism

A syncretic belief system combining rational Confucian thought with abstract ideas from Buddhism and Daoism that spread to Korea, Japan, and Vietnam.

Daimyo

Wealthy landowners in feudal Japan who controlled territory and fought one another for power.

Three M's of Islamic Expansion

The three primary avenues through which Islam spread: Military actions, Merchants, and Missionaries.

Mamluk Sultanate

A Turkic empire established in Egypt following the decline of the Abbasid Caliphate.

Seljuk Sultanate

A Sunni Muslim Turkic empire that took control over major portions of the Middle East.

Abbasid Empire

An Islamic empire centered around major learning hubs like Baghdad, which was ultimately overthrown by the Mongols in 1258.

Nasir al-Din al-Tusi

An Islamic scholar widely known for his groundbreaking work in astronomy.

A'ishah al-Ba'uniyyah

A prominent female Islamic writer best known for her creation of poetry and works on Sufism.

Sufism

A mystical tradition of Islam that helped spread the faith across regions through personal teaching and travel.